The FBI has joined an investigation into the death of an Illinois woman who died Monday while in a Texas jail.
Sandra Bland, who was arrested last Friday after allegedly assaulting a police officer during a traffic stop, was found dead in the Waller County Jail in Hempstead, Texas. The sheriff's office said she had died from "what appears to be self-inflicted asphyxiation."
Family and friends said they did not believe the 28-year-old would harm herself.
The Texas Department of Public Safety announced Thursday that the FBI had agreed to a joint investigation with the Texas Rangers, the statewide law enforcement agency. In addition, On Friday, the DPS announced that it had “identified violations of the department’s procedures regarding traffic stops and the department’s courtesy policy,” in the case of Bland's arrest.
During a news conference in Chicago on Thursday, the family's attorney, Cannon Lambert, addressed claims that Bland had died as a result of foul play in a county that is allegedly steeped in racism.
"There’s a political environment right now," Lambert said. "And there’s a lot of concerns people have about the racial component. But we’re not ignorant to that reality. I also don’t think we should rush to judgment, either. That’s why we want to speak to the investigator so we can understand."